AN: I have watched the moive again and again to continue this fic...and I will finish it by the nd of summer, I hope. Some parts are not really according to the movie and I ahve decided to delay the attack from the humans, so that River can get himself hurt first. Wink* Ignore the spoilers

Rating: T (THIS CHAP)

Eight

"River, Quaritch wants a word." I had barely stepper out of the shower when someone tapped the glass door to my pod-like dorm room.

"Wait, why?" I poked my head out and the guy turned back to give me a shrug.

"Don't know, but he seems to be in a bad mood. I feel for you man."

I frowned. Had I done something wrong? Was there a reason for him to be angry with me? Technically Quaritch wasn't my commanding officer but Jones had not been qualified for the program so I basically report to Quaritch anyway, but...

I scratched my head and shrugged mentally as I threw on an old army t-shirt and jeans. I found him in the empty hall where he'd first introduced Pandora to us, sitting with his back to me.

"Come here, son." oh boy. The guy called me son. I took a deep breath to settle my jumpy nerves and walked up to him.

"sit." he gestured to the seat next to him and we sat there side by side for a few awkward moments. I swear he could probably hear my heart thumping.

"Sir, have I done something wrong." ok I was sick of the dramatic silence game and spoke up.

He turned to me with a sharp suspicious glint in his eye. "Do you think you've done something wrong?"

I shook my head. He narrowed his eyes. Silence fell again and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Ever since the failed attempt to become an ikran rider, I had been feeling agitated all the time, sharp bursts of anger accompanied by the urge to hit something. Jake told me it was the wounded caveman in my chest howling in indignation. It didn't make much sense.

"I want you to move to the base camps Grace Augustine has set up on the planet. Their activities lately have been... unsatisfactory. I need someone I can trust to keep me informed and to keep them in line." he said suddenly. I opened my mouth to object.

"Don't say no, or I may just pull you out of the program." Quaritch stood and dusted off his shirt. "Oh, and I'm promoting you to captain. Don't disappoint me kid. You might not like the results."

I frowned at his retreating back. Ok, my caveman had finally met an even bigger caveman. I sighed in defeat.

Later that afternoon, after packing whatever belongings I had left, Trudy showed up to take me to camp. It was both odd and exhilarating to hear people calling me sir and such in the corridors because apparently news traveled fast around here and nearly everyone knew I had been promoted. Trudy just gave me a bland look.

"Disgusting aren't they, sucking up to the higher-ups like maggots crawling over-"

"Ok I get your point." I said, giving her a reproachful look. She grinned and did a dramatic bow.

"Up you go, oh greatest of jarheads."

I chuckled dryly and hopped in.

You can imagine the look of surprise on Jake's face when he opened the door to my grinning face. Trudy elbowed him out of the way, muttering about needing a cigarette. Jake and I stared awkwardly at each other for a moment before I stooped down and gave him a stiff one-armed man-hug.

"So, guess you're here to stay?" he asked as I stepped inside. Grace Augustine was giving a suspicious look as I set down my one and only bag on a nearby table.

"Yep." I bumped knuckles with Jake good-naturedly and tried to surprises the feeling of guilt welling up inside my chest.

Later that night, as we were eating micro-waved mush, Jake sighed. I knew there was something weighing him down so I waited pa5iently for him to speak.

"Have you ever wished that you could just stay in your avatar for real, like become your avatar?" he finally asked. I swallowed a bite of the tasteless rice and shrugged.

"Yeah, I suppose so. Why, is this about your upcoming ceremony?"

He sighed again and shook his head. "I don't know, I just feel like what we are doing...this lying to the Na'vi is wrong."

My heart skipped a beat. Ok, so Quaritch had his reasons to be suspicious after all. But I truly didn't have an answer to his problem, so I kept quiet and shoved the rest of the food down my throat.

The next morning was the time of Jake's ceremony, where he would be accepted into the clan forever. We woke extra early and prepared for the link.

"So, feeling nervous?" I asked him casually as I slipped into a new t-shirt. Jake gave a stiff laugh.

"Not so much as I would have expected. Hey do you think Tsu'tey would be mad about me being accepted into the clan? He's so hostile to me."

I raised my eyebrow at him and threw the dirty shirt at his face. "You've been treading on his tail for weeks. Why turn into a sensitive girl all of a sudden? Besides, he's kind of alright to me. We get along fine."

"That's because you flirt with him all the time." Jake shot back.

"You're being a sensitive girl again." I picked him off his wheelchair, ignoring his protests of 'I can do it myself'. "And we don't flirt. You and the princess do. I'll see you on the other side."

Ignoring his middle finger, I laid back and pulled the lid over my body.

The Na'vi people believe that a person is born twice; the second time is when you earn your place among the people forever.

I watched by the shade of the tree as entire spread white paint over Jake's skin, whispering words to him in a voice only they could hear. They created a nice picture together.

Grace wandered over to me and I greeted her with a small nod. Her eyes fell on my neck.

"Where did you get those stones?" she asked in an odd voice.

"Tsu'tey gave them to me." I shrugged, not taking my eyes off Jake. "It's a bit girly I know, but-"

"No, you do not know how big of an honor it is for a Na'vi to receive another's birth stones. It means placing complete trust and faith in the receiver. Although, it is most common among mates..." she trailed off. I wasn't really paying attention to her and the words didn't to register to me.

There was a sharp whistle and I looked up to see Tsu'tey standing a few feet away from me. He beckoned to me and I excused myself, ignoring Dr. Augustine's shocked expression.

"You look filthy, River. I would clean you myself if there were time." he gave me a disgusted look when I jogged closer but his fingers were gentle as they brushed a few strands of blond out of my face. I listened carefully to his instructions about what to do during the ceremony. I was to put my hands on his shoulders after he puts his on Jake's shoulders or something like that.

After the ceremony came the dancing. Let's just say I made my ancestors proud by not stepping into the bonfire and wining the award for stepping on nearly everybody's tail. I was still chuckling and my ears were buzzing pleasantly as I sat down next to an unfamiliar Na'vi woman. She turned and offered me more of the sweet spicy nectar-like drink that was making me feel so high. I grinned and downed the whole thing. Neytiri was laughing and whispering in Jake's ear. Tsu'tey was nowhere to be seen. I watched Neytiri take Jake by the hand and lead him off into the trees.

"So, I have heard that you are not a hunter." the woman slid over to join me. I frowned a little but smiled again when she offered me more of the drink. She smirked cat-like in its beauty and leaned closer to whisper in my ear. "I don't mind that, I'm a very good hunter..."

She trailed a warm finger down my abdomen. I stared at her for a second and puckered my lips stupidly. The next second someone had fisted my hair and was dragging me backward.

"Hey what the hell?" I squirmed and something snagged on my loincloth. The flimsy knot came loose and the hard ground met my unprotected ass. The pressure against my head didn't cease until that somebody dunked my head into cold water. I choked and flailed.

"I think the drinks may have gone to your head, you should cool down a bit." Tsu'tey's steely voice floated disoriented into my waterlogged head. I groaned.

The head dunking lasted several painful minutes and I was gasping for breath by the time he stopped. Anger rose to replace the happiness I had felt and I lunged at him, ignoring the fact that I was buck-naked.

"Fuck you asshole! Just because Neytiri's not into you, you didn't have to vent out your anger on me!" I caught him by surprise and we collapsed onto the ground. I was slapping scratching uncoordinatedly at every bit of bare skin I could reach. Tsu'tey twisted underneath me, his hands trying to hold me still.

"At least she liked me..." I muttered underneath my breath. He went completely still for a second then sighed in frustration.

"No one dislikes you, river."

"Yes you do. I can't believe I defended you when Jake said you were a heartless prick." I said coldly.

"Did you?" Tsu'tey sounded awfully smug for some reason. I twisted above him uncomfortably and couldn't help the little gasp of surprise that escaped my lips when I slid against his thigh. Tsu'tey looked down and a vein pulsed in his neck.

"How can you manage to loose your loin cloth, River?"

In a second, I was flipped unceremoniously onto the moist earth and Tsu'tey was atop me, his hands securing my wrists over my head. I stared stupidly up at him and smiled.

Something in Tsu'tey's eyes darkened and he tightened his grip over my hands, grinding bones together hard enough to hurt. I winced and closed my eyes as he leaned down...

Then his weight was gone. I opened my eyes and stared up at the starry night. Had I imagined that bit or was Tsu'tey really going to do something? Because I was certain whatever it was, that hard thing pressing into my thigh was definitely not a dagger. I looked down between my naked legs and groaned.

"Down boy."

Somewhere nearby, something growled.

I ran for it.

REVIEW? How was it? I feel a little anxious.